Mattress tufting apparatus



June 12, 1934. H OLSON MATTRESS TUFTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l i! y W Filed June 12, 1953 June 12, 1934. QLSON MATTRESS TUFTING APPARATUS Filed June 12 1933 flue/27m" June 12, 1934. A L ON 1,962,209

' MATTRESS TUFTING APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 12, 1934 MATTRESS TUFTING APPARATUS Alex H. Olson, Chicago, 111., assignor to Droll Patents Corporation of Delaware, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 12, 1933, Serial No. 675,408

14 Claims.

The invention relates to mattress tufting machines.

One object of the invention is to provide a mattress tufting machine for hand tufting which is equipped with means for readily and conveniently, and symmetrically locating the points where the tufts are to be applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide readily operable means for compressing the mat tress along the lines where the tufts are to be applied.

A still further object is, to provide a machine comprising a horizontally ,shiftable mattress supporting table with mechanism for insuring the rectilinear movement of the mattress as it is shifted for applying the tufts along different lines thereof.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description of the machine.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective of a mattress tufting machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3 and showing the upper compressor member which carries improved means for spotting the points at which the tufts are to be applied to the mattress by hand. Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating the clip for adjustably securing the elastic spotting connection to the upper compressor member. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the table shifting connections. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section showing the extensible spotting connection carried by the table. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the rollers for supporting the mattress supporting table for horizontal movement and one of the gear mechanisms for equalizing the movement between the ends of the table. Fig. 8 is a detail plan of one of the clips for adjustably securing the extensible spotting connection to the mattress supporting table.

. The invention is exemplified in a machine comprising a supporting frame work composed of fabricated standards 10 at its ends which are rigidly connected at their bases. Each standard is built up of a pair of angle irons 10 an angle iron connecting bar 10 between the upper ends of said bars and a connecting cross bar 10 near their lower ends. The lower ends of the standards are rigidly connected by a pair of angle iron bars 11 which are secured to the bars 10 of the standards by plates 12. The lower ends of the bars 10 are also secured to base bars 13. This frame work serves to support a horizontally movable mattress supporting table 14 and also to support for vertical sliding movement a lower mattress compressing member 15 and an upper mattress compressing member 16.

The table is built up of angle iron side bars 14 cross bars 14 and end bars 14, all rigidly secured together to form a table or framewhich is adapted to support a mattress. The cross bars are spaced apart to leave openings through which the needles for applying the tufts can be inserted. This table is supported for horizontal movement in the frame work so that the mattress may be moved successively step by step to bring different portions of the mattress through which the tufting ties are to be inserted. between the centers and into line with the compressor members. The end bars 14 are each confined between a pair of peripherally grooved lower rollers 17 and similarly grooved upper rollers 18 which are mounted on a cross-bar l8 and serve to guide the end-bars to permit the table to be shifted transversely. For the purpose of causing the table tov move rectilinearly and its ends equidistantly, the latter are connected by an idler shaft 19 which is journaled in the standards 10 and has adjacent each of its ends, a gear wheel 20 to mesh with a pinion 21 which meshes with a gear rack 22 fixed on one of the end bars 14 of the table 14.. This shaft and these gear connections between the ends of the table exemplify gearing for causing the table to move freely and truly rectilinearly.

The upper compressor member comprises a pair of longitudinally extending upwardly divergent bars 23 and 24 which are spaced apart to leave a longitudinal space through which the tufting needles can be inserted through the mattress. These bars are secured by means of lugs 23 to a frame composed of a pair of bars 25 which are rigidly connected at their ends by brackets 26. Brackets26 are vertically slidable on fixed guide rods 27. Each guide rod 27 has its upper end fixed in one of the cross bars 10 of one of the standards 10 and its lower end in a cross bar 29 which is fixed to the bars 10 of one of the standards. The lower compressor member comprises a pair of downwardly divergent series of bars or sections 30 and 31 which are supported by brackets 32 on a frame composed of longitudinal angle iron bars 33 and brackets 34 which rigidly connect the ends of the bars. Rods 2'7 extend through brackets 34. to guide the lower compressor member vertically. The bars 30 and 31 of the lower compressor member are formed of sections to permit the cross bars 14 of the table to pass between them.

Mechanism is provided for simultaneously shifting the upper and lower compressor members to compress the mattress on the table and to release the mattress for transverse movement after a row of tufts have been applied to the mattress. This mechanism comprises a lever 35 pivoted at 36 to one end of the standards 10, a link 3'? having one of its ends pivoted to the lever and its other end pivoted to an arm 38 of a three armed lever 38 which is fixed to a shaft 39 which extends longitudinally across the framework and is journaled in bars 40 which are fixed to the standards 10. Lever 38 has an arm 38 to which is pivoted the lower end of the link 41, which has its upper end pivoted to one of the brackets 34 of the lower compressor member. Lever 38 has an arm 38 to which is pivoted a link 42. The upper end of link 42 is pivoted to one of the brackets 26 of the upper compressor member. Lever 35 is extended to the front and to the rear of the framework and is provided at each end with a foot piece 43. By depressing one end of the lever, the link 37 will rock lever 38 to bring the compressor members together to compress the mattress on the table. By depressing the other end of the lever, the operator can spread the compressor members to permit the mattress and table to be moved transversely of the framework. When the lever 38 is shifted into the position shown in Fig. 3, the links 41 and 42 will be in substantially dead center relation with the shaft 39 so that they will be self -locking and cause the mattress to be held compressed until the lever 35 is shifted. This dispenses with the necessity of separately operable locking mechanism for the compressor members for securing them in position to hold the mattress compressed along the lines where the tufts are to be tied into the mattress. Levers 38 at the ends of the machine respectively are fixed to the shaft 39 to equalize the shift of the compressor members. For convenience in operating the compressor members while the operator is standing at either end of the machine, a lever 35 and link 3'7 are provided at each end. This mechanism exemplifies operating means for the compressor members which includes a self-locking linkage which can be released by shift of either of the foot-levers 35.

In practice, the tufts should be sewed into the mattress symmetrically or at equi-distantly spaced points. In practice, it is also necessary to vary this spacing according to the size of the mattress or the number of tufts to be sewed into it. For variable longitudinal spacing of the tufts, an elastic or extensible connection is adjustably attached to the bar 25 of the upper compressor member. This connection comprises a series of coil springs 46 which are serially-connected by rings 4'7 into which the contiguous ends of the springs are hooked. A characteristic of this connection is that when the ends are shifted, the expansion or take-up will be evenly distributed throughout the length of the connection so that the spacing between the rings 4'? will be varied and equalized so long as the connection remains under tension. These rings 47 serve to indicate to the operator or spot the points in the space between the compressor bars 23, 24 at which the tufts should be applied. Each end of the extensible connection is hooked onto a spring clip 48 which comprises pivoted jaws 49 which are adapted to grip between them the bar 25 of the upper compressor member, and a coil spring 50 for closing the jaws to cause them to grip said bar. The jaws are pivoted together by a pin 51 around which the spring 50 extends and are extended to permit them to be forced apart by the operator against the force of spring 50. By setting these clips along the bar 25 the spacing between the rings 47 can be varied as desired and the spacing between the rings will always be uniform. If the number of tufts in a longitudinal row is to be reduced, the operator can stretch the connection so that the second ring from the end can be hooked onto one of the clips in which event the rings will be equally spaced apart to spot the points for a correspondingly reduced number of tufts. If the number of tufts is to be increased, one end ring of the spring connection can be unhooked from its clip and an additional spring hooked onto that ring and to the clip. The spring connection is sufiiciently elastic to cause it to remain under tension notwithstanding these variations. Either of the clips 48 may be shifted on the bar to bring the rings 49 into the proper position with respect to the ends of mattresses of different lengths.

A similar extensible or spring connection is provided on the mattress-supporting table to spot the longitudinal lines at which the tufts are to be placed. This connection comprises a series of serially connected springs 55, balls 56 to which the contiguous ends of the individual springs are hooked and spring clips 57 at the ends of the connection. Each spring clip 57 comprises spring-pressed jaws adapted to grip a flange on a bar 58 which is fixed to the side bars 14." of the table 14, and a spring socket 59 which is adapted to receive and grip one of the balls 56. The clips 57 may be adjusted along the bar 58 to extend or shorten this spring connection to uniformly vary the spacing between the balls 56. This connection is also adapted for spotting a greater or less number of longitudinal lines for the placement of the tufts. If the number of longitudinal rows is to be reduced, the ball at one end of the spring connection will be removed from socket 59 in one of the clips 57 and the next ball inserted therein. This will cause the connection to be stretched for one less longitudispaced so that a mattress may be laid onto the table 14. The extensible spring connection on the upper compressor member will then be adjusted or set according to the number of tufts desired in each longitudinal row. The extensible connection carried by the table will be set according to the number of longitudinal rows of tufts to be placed in the mattress. The table will be successively shifted into position so that one of the balls 56 will be alined with the space between the bars 23, 24 of the upper compressor member.

Next, one of the levers 35 will be operated to bring the compressor members together and into the position shown in Fig. 5. The operator will then sew tufts into the mattress by passing needles through the space between the bars 23, 24 at each "point where a ring 47- is located, thereby placing the tufts in the desired place and equally spaced from one another until the entire longitudinal row of tufts has been tied into the mat tress. Next, the lever is operated to spread the compressor members to permit the table'and mat tress to be shifted horizontally so another ball 56 will be longitudinally alined'with the space between the upper compressor bars 23, 24. The compressing and sewing operations are then repeated until'the entire mattress has been tufted.

The invention exemplifies a mattress-tufting machine which is provided with readily variable and adjustable means for spotting the points at which the tufts of a longitudinal row are to be tied into the mattress; readily and quickly variable and adjustable means for spotting the longitudinal lines for the tufts; mechanism for operating the mattress compressing members which is simple in construction and self-locking to hold the mattress compressed while the tufts are being sewed and tied into the mattress; and which is simple in construction and greatly facilitates the tufting of a mattress by hand.

The invention is not to be understood to be restricted to the details set forth and may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, means for compressing the mattress and means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of indicating devices and an extensible elastic connection carrying said devices and whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened.

2. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, means for compressing the mattress and means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of indicating devices and an extensible spring connection carrying said devices and whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened.

3. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, members for compressing the mattress, means for spotting the points for the tufts .comprising a series of indicating devices, and an extensible elastic connection carrying said devices and whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened, and means for adjustably securing the ends of the connection to one of the compressor members.

4. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, means for compressing the mattress,

' means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of indicating devices and an extensible spring connection carrying said devices and whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened, and means for adjustably secomprising "a series 'of springs and indicating de-" vices between and carried by the springs,'said springs and devices being serially connected to' form'an extensible spring connection whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally'varied when the connection is elongated or shortened.-

' 6; In amattresstuftin'g'machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, means for compressing the mattress, means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of springs and indicating devices between and carried by the springs; said springs and devices being serially connected to form an extensible spring connection whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened, and means for adjustably securing the ends of the connection to a support.

7. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, means for compressing the mattress, means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of springs and indicating devices between and carried by the springs, said springs and devices being serially connected to form an extensible spring connection whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened, and spring clips for adjustably securing the ends of the connection to a support.

8. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, members for compressing the mattress, means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of springs and indicating devices between and carried by the springs, said springs and devices being serially connected to form an extensible spring connection whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened, and means for adustably securing the ends of the connection to one of the compressor members.

9. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, means for compressing the mattress, means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising a series of springs and indicating devices between and carried by the springs, said springs and devicesbeing serially connected to form an extensible spring connection whereby the spacing between the devices will be equally varied when the connection is elongated or shortened, and means for adjustably securing the ends of the connection to the table.

10. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a mattress supporting table, members for compressing the mattress, means for spotting the points for the tufts comprising an elastic extensible connection and indicating devices carried thereby, mounted on one of the compressor-members, and an elastic extensible connection and indicating devices carried thereby, mounted on the table.

11. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a horizontally movable mattress supporting table supported by said framework, a pair of compressor members slidable vertically in the framework and over and under the table respectively, a lever for shifting said compressor members, and a self-locking linkage between the lever and said members.

12. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, 21. horizontally movable mattress supporting table supported by said framework, 2, pair of compressor members slidable vertically in the framework and over and under the table respectively, a foot-lever for shifting said compressor members, and a self-locking linkage between the lever and said members, operable to open and close said members.

13. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a horizontally movable mattress supporting table supported by said frame Work, a pair of compressor members slidable vertically in the frame work and over and under the table respectively, a foot-lever for shifting said compressor members, a shaft lever on said framework, links between the lever on 

